We're delighted to bring you another jam-packed issue of Dublin Chamber Weekly, kindly sponsored by PwC.

As the voice of the Dublin business community, Dublin Chamber is continuing to lobby on a range of policy issues facing our members.

Inside this week’s edition, you will find the details of our latest policy and advocacy work, as well as information on upcoming events you won’t want to miss.

Enjoy the issue!

Data is the lifeblood of businesses today. It is valuable to organisations but also to skilled cyber attackers. Increased automation and transitioning to cloud platforms is resulting in companies being exposed to new threats, making an effective approach to cybersecurity critical. Getting safe in cyberspace is now more important than ever.

Last week brought good news with the announcement of the long-awaited National Economic Recovery Plan which delivers a number of Dublin Chamber’s key recommendations for the first half of 2021. The Plan attests to the strength of our evidence-based lobbying campaign to support businesses through the remainder of the Covid-19 crisis.

This week the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment Leo Varadkar announced further details of his plan to introduce a right to paid sick leave for all Irish workers.

The Government’s statutory sick pay scheme will be phased in over a four-year period, starting with three days per year in 2022, rising to five days payable in 2023, and seven days payable in 2024. Employers will eventually cover the cost of 10 sick days per year in 2025. It’s being phased in to help employers, particularly small businesses, to plan ahead and manage the additional cost, which has been capped.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar this week signalled that it may be possible to return to a level of on-site office working in August, and with the many changes that have occurred over the past year in relation to flexible working practices and the need for increased health and safety measures there are many things to think about before employees can be welcomed back

We have a number of great virtual events, workshops and training sessions lined up over the coming weeks that you won't want to miss. Here's a snapshot of some of the highlights.

15th June: Leaders Series - Culture Change why it’s now or never. Book here.

22nd June: Digital Agenda - The Role of Culture in Digital Transformation. Book here.

23rd June: Reopening for Business: Navigating the post Covid workplace. Book here.

24th June: Maximise your Dublin Chamber Membership. Book here.

28th June: Bid Services Tender Training. Book here.

29th June: The Future of Dublin Port. Book here.

30th June: Monthly Speed Networking. Book here.

For a full listing of all our upcoming events please head over to our website here.

*Some of our events are only open to specific member categories.

Dublin Chamber is pleased to welcome Eamonn O’Reilly, Chief Executive of Dublin Port Company, for a briefing on the changes that have taken place since Brexit, the impact of Covid-19 on cargo, trade, and what all this means for businesses and the future of the Port

Dublin Chamber has welcomed the unveiling last week of proposals for regeneration of an important 2.2-hectares site in the north inner city to include a fully integrated Metrolink station for O’Connell Street. You can see images of the design and further details here.

For our Wellness Webinar event this week sponsored by Investec we were joined by Irish professional golfer and Olympian Stephanie Meadow. Stephanie spoke about how she stayed positive throughout the pandemic and how she overcomes the mental challenges that come with a physical challenge such as an injury. Stephanie also gave us her top wellness tip of getting a walk or a bit of exercise done first thing in the morning. Watch it here.

Join us for a special focus group session on business engagement with the UN Sustainable Development Goals on Monday 28^th June 12pm-1.30pm.

The outputs from this session will go towards informing a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

This focus group will be limited in numbers and will be filled on a first come first served basis. If you are interested in registering to participate, please contact carol@dublinchamber.ie

As the national Covid-19 vaccine rollout continues, Dublin Chamber this month called on businesses to support their staff in attending pre-scheduled appointments for the Covid-19 vaccination if they fall within working hours